


You Can Exhale Now, Eddie

by AlexATL64



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, IT 2019, IT Chapter Two Spoilers, M/M, Movie: IT Chapter Two, Stephen King's IT References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-13 09:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20580230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexATL64/pseuds/AlexATL64
Summary: His whole life, people have been treating Eddie like he's about to break, like he needs to be protected. Until he meets Richie Tozier, and he starts to believe that maybe he can fight for himself, and maybe even for Richie's heart.





	1. A Shortness of Breath

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading the scene where Eddie leaves Myra to go back to Derry, and that line about how he had a "shortness of breath in his heart" got to me and inspired me to write this lol. 
> 
> I literally highlighted that line in the book and wrote down "You can exhale now Simon," and then I started writing this fic in my head. I love my dramatic, gay son lol!
> 
> *** also that warning is for later chapters, and there shouldn't be anything triggering in the 1st chapter :) Also Eddie doesn't die in this one!

"Hi, is this the Kaspbrak residence?"  
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"  
"It's Mike...Hanlon...from Derry? It's back Eddie."

Eddie's face turned pale. Suddenly he remembered. Georgie, killer clowns, the sewer. The thought made him shudder.

"We all promised if It came back, we would too," Mike said, "The others are on their way."

Eddie tried to remember all of their names: Mike Bev, Ben, Bill, Stan...Richie. Oh god. He was about to see Richie Tozier for the first time in 27 years. 

Suddenly Eddie couldn't breathe, he dived towards his couch and searched for his inhaler, and breathed in the medicine with no luck.

He reached for the bottle of Tylenol beside him, but then placed in back down, "It's no use," he murmured. 

"Eddie are you okay?" His wife Myra asked, coming down the stairs in a hurry, "Who was that on the phone?"

Eddie didn't know what to say. How do you explain that your best friend's brother was murdered by a killer clown, and that you had go back into the sewers with your childhood crush to kill It.

"An old friend...from Derry. I have to leave for a few days," Eddie said, getting up from the couch to pack for the trip.

"A few days?" Myra said, looking concerned, "Eddie are you feeling okay? Where's your inhaler?" she said looking around.

A part of him wanted to tell her everything "No Myra I'm not okay. I've got a fever that Tylenol won't fix, and a shortness of breath my inhaler can't cure, because the shortness of breath isn't around my throat or my lungs it's around my heart."

He thought about Richie, and the memories started flooding back. His crooked glasses that were always smudged, his constant teasing, His wavy hair, and the way Richie called him 'Eds' all the time. Eddie smiled softly.

"Eddie? Are you listening?" Myra yelled, bringing Eddie back into reality, "Please don't go anywhere I'll make your favorite breakfast!" She pleaded.

"I'm sorry Myra, but I have to go," he said, shoving pills and vitamins into his suitcase.

He went back into his room and started filling his suitcase with clothes. Then he ran back downstairs grabbed his inhaler, and the bottle of Tylenol and ran through the door towards the cab parked in front. 

When the cab drove off, Myra was standing on the front porch still asking questions and trying to figure out why Eddie had gone.

Reply Reply All Forward


	2. Richie gets a call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike calls Richie :) I promise it'll get more interesting soon lol

Richie Tozier was going to be sick. 

"Hello....Hello? Richie, you okay?" Mike's voice came from the phone. 

He hadn't thought about Derry or Eddie in 27 years. Ten minutes ago he'd been sitting in front of his window, watching the waves hit the shore, preparing to go back on air. 

Now he was taking deep breaths in the bathroom, and trying not to throw up. After a while, his lungs (and his stomach) subsided and he was able to step back out. 

His producer had been yelling at him to hurry for the past five minutes, he checked the time on his phone 3:06, he was late for his radio show. "Hello?" Mike asked again

"I'll be there as fast as I can Mike," he replied before hanging up and walking out into the hallway. 

"Richie! Richie! Come on, they've been playing dog food ads for the past five minutes!" His producer yelled, rushing towards Richie, and pushing him up the stairs to the studio. 

"I'm sorry man, I can't..." Richie tried to explain

"Yes you can. yes you can. You can't leave us hanging Rich!" his producer said dismissively 

"No, I got a call. I have to go back home, to Maine," Richie said stopping on the sixth step of the staircase

"What are you talking about? Can't your little reunion wait until the end of the show?" His producer said angrily

Reunion...I'm going to see Eddie...I wonder if he....

"Richie! Are you listening?" His producer yelled impatiently

"No, it can't wait," Richie replied "it's a long story but I promised I would come back a long time ago," Richie said, running past his producer "Shouldn't be more than a few days!" He said without looking back

"Richie! Richie! Get back here!" His producer yelled, but he made no attempt to follow him. 


	3. Nope, not ready.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This meeting of the loser's club is finally beginning!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-read Chapter 1 and I realized I'm putting a lot more spaces in between paragraphs than before lol. Let me know what you like better! 
> 
> Is it easier to read with more spaces, or less spaces?   
Okay that's all! Enjoy :)

Richie put his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the wall of the Chinese Restaurant. He pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself, he wasn't used to the New-England weather anymore, and he was a little nervous to see everyone again. 

Across the parking lot, Eddie stepped out of his car, and took out his inhaler, quickly breathing in the medicine. He tried to shake off his thoughts about killer clowns and sewers, as he walked towards the restaurant, reminding himself that he wouldn't have to go into the sewers alone.

That's when he saw Richie Tozier standing by the door of the restaurant, and he turned around suddenly. "Nope, not ready," he mumbled to himself, stepping back into the safety of his rental car. 

He sat in his car and watched as the other losers began to arrive, one by one. Beverly, with her short red hair that barely touched her shoulders, Bill wearing a flannel shirt as always, Mike wearing a cozy sweater and carrying a large book in his hand, and Ben, wearing a dark button up, waving and running up to Bev excitedly. 

He watched as they hugged and greeted each other, and was surprised by how quickly they fell back into their old roles. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew them so well he didn't need to. 

Mike was as rational as ever, flipping through the book in his hand, and trying to show the losers why he had called them. Richie kept making Bev and Bill laugh with his impressions of Mike. And every once in a while Richie would look out into the parking lot as if he were waiting for someone.

Eddie sighed, "Well I guess I should at least say hi," he mumbled, opening his door. 

"Eddie!" the losers cried in unison, as he walked towards them.

Eddie smiled, wondering why had he been so afraid, "Hey guys!" he replied cheerfully

Richie stepped up to hug him first, and it nearly killed him. But Eddie tried to slow his breathing and waited until he had hugged everyone to use his inhaler. 

Mike quickly tried to catch him up on the last 30 years of Derry history, but had little luck, because Richie kept trying to make Eddie laugh.

"Oh come on Richie this is serious," Mike said 

"Oh come on Richie, this is serious," Richie repeated in one of his character voices

Eddie tried to keep his composure, for Mike's sake, but Richie kept making faces and poking him as Eddie tried to listen.

"Seriously Rich, Mike's trying to tell me something," Richie said "Go on Mike, ignore him. You know, If Stan were here, he'd be rolling his eyes, he always got annoyed with our bickering," Eddie said, letting out a laugh

Wait, where was Stan? He thought suddenly. 


End file.
